Steven Schueler

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Dana Mathewson

As a youngster growing up in the 1960s, Putin was a typical Russian hooligan, living with his family in a communal apartment in what was then Leningrad. Several other families, including Putin’s, shared these living quarters, with no bath, often no hot water and a stinking toilet. To get to his apartment on the fifth floor, young Putin had to run up the flight of stairs, infested by hungry rats. Armed with a stick, Putin at first fended off the filthy creatures and ran away from them, before he eventually decided to observe their behavior.

Putin spent hours studying these hordes of rats. Once, as he revealed in his official autobiography "First Person,” a "huge rat” he chased into a corner with a stick had nowhere else to go, so it turned around and attacked him. That frightened the future spymaster, and he was lucky to run away fast enough to elude his adversary.

During his life and career, Putin has had several "cornered rat” moments, which have shaped his thinking and behavior. Working as a KGB officer during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, he stared down a mob of angry German citizens who broke into the Russian Ministry of Security (MGB) in Dresden.

At one point, Putin went outside to tell the protestors they were on the premises of a Soviet military organization. When the suspicious crowd demanded to know why a regular Soviet military officer spoke such good German, Putin lied and said he was a translator.

Putin requested armed backup forces, but was at first denied because "nothing could be done without orders from Moscow, and Moscow was silent.” Though Soviet military personnel eventually arrived and the crowd dispersed, the incident left a permanent mark on Putin.

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Timothy Birdnow

Brandon and his dimwitted mouthpiece Peppermint Patty are liars.

Here is an article showing clearly how the Federal Government has systematically made it more difficult and expensive to drill for oil, despite claims by Psaki and Commander Fuzzybunnyslippers that oil companies just won't drill (I guess they stole that from Jobs Americans Just Won't Do.)

• • Companies must develop a complete leasehold before permitting can occur, particularly with the long horizontal wells that can cut across multiple leases. Sometimes a new lease is needed to combine with existing leases to make a full unit. Sincethe Biden leasing banremains in effect with no onshore lease sales held since 2020, some leases are held up waiting for new leases or for the government to combine them into a formal unit.

• Before allowing development on leases, the government conducts environmental analysis under NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act) that often takes years to complete. Many leases can be hung up in that process or awaiting other government approvals.
• Finally, not all leases will be developed because, after conducting exploratory work, a company may determine there are not sufficient oil and natural gas resources on them. The country still benefits from the leasing revenue paid on the leases.

Let’s talk permits. There are4,621 permits to drillawaiting approval. By approving these permits in a timely manner, companies could move forward with development. There are also about 9,173 permits approved and available to drill.

• Because of the uncertainty of operating on federal lands, companies must build up a sufficient inventory of permits before rigs can be contracted to ensure the permits stay ahead of the rigs. We drill wells in a matter of days and rigs are very expensive, so it’s a delicate balancing act. But there are other things that can delay a company from developing a well right away.

• The federal permit to drill is not the only government approval required. Rights of way must be acquired to access the lease and for natural gas gathering systems. ROWs can take years to acquire. With the pressure not to flare from regulators and investors, most companies cannot drill before the gathering lines are in place. Timely approvals of ROWs would enable companies to develop sooner.
• The administration has worked with anti-oil-and-gas activists to slow pipeline infrastructure. Without pipelines to move the oil and natural gas produced, wells cannot be developed.

• Capital must be acquired. Activist investors, encouraged by anadministration using its regulatory powers, have worked to de-bank and de-capitalize the oil and natural gas industry. Many companies, particularly the small independents who drill the majority of federal wells, are having difficulty acquiring the capital necessary to develop.By calling off bureaucratic efforts to deny lendingto the industry, the president would send a strong signal to the market that investments in oil and natural gas are safe and more development would move forward.

• The Biden Administration has embarked on an agenda of regulatory overreach with extensive new regulations in the works. The uncertainty of all the new red tape puts a damper on new investment and development today, especially on federal lands where the burden is highest. Consequently, companies prioritize their nonfederal leases because there’s less regulatory risk.

In-depth analysis debunks Biden admin blaming oil companies for not developing 9000 leases – Feds ‘spent over a year making it more difficult’ to drill & environmentalists ‘constantly sue to stop any development’

By: Admin - Climate DepotMarch 9, 2022 11:58 AM

.@PressSec answers @JacquiHeinrichby blaming oil producers for not developing on 9,000 leases. We can't develop our leases if permits aren't approved (4,500 outstanding) & with myriad other delays the administration puts in the way of American producers. https://t.co/RxPvqCySKW

— Kathleen Sgamma (@KathleenSgamma) March 3, 2022

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Steven Chase

EVERYONE KNOWS....
About the pipelines but are you aware that
1. Biden suspended all oil and gas leasing on federal lands.
2. Despite a federal judge ruling the leasing bans are illegal, Biden’s administration has issued ZERO new leases.
3. Biden increased oil and gas production payments to 20%, increasing bonding and surety requirements to more than 15 times current levels, imposed a new severance tax, and established new annual fees of $10,000 per mile for offshore pipelines.
4. There are SIX Natural Gas (LNG) leases ON HIS DESK that he has refused to sign.
Biden’s FY22 Budget explicitly PREVENTS funding the construction or maintenance of projects that would lower the cost of gas, diesel, or energy derived from fossil fuels. His Build Back America PLATFORM is designed to CRIPPLE our energy, but does NOTHING about China, Africa, India or Asia - by far the largest polluters on the planet. America Last?

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Warner Todd Huston

IRS Targets Poorest American Families with Audits at 5 Times the Rate for Everyone Else

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Timothy Birdnow

The Left has harassed the repair shop that confiscated Hunter Biden's laptop. They are nearly out of business.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/12/hunter-bidens-laptop-repairman-harassed-nearly-bankrupt/?utm_source=facebook_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site+buttons&utm_campaign=site+buttons&fbclid=IwAR2MceUe2VGJaoa0ewz_NkV5WbkJEv8malxcxQqPJE0EvCJOyXHvd-qZenQ

So much for the Democrat's alleged love of the little guy and devotion to shining the light on the darkness.

Hypocrites.

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Willis Eschenbach

It's bizarre.

If a 14-year-old girl is unhappy with her breasts and wants breast enhancement, adults say "No way! Wait until you're 21!"

But if a 14-year-old girl is unhappy with her breasts and wants them cut off, "adults" say "Sure, honey, that's a really good plan, you must be trans, hop up on the operating table ..."

Where is the planet I grew up on?

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Warner Todd Huston

Fourteen States Sue Biden Over Administration' s Labeling of Parents as 'Terrorists'

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Timothy Birdnow

"Russiagate" for 5 years tied DJT's hands from being diplomatic and deterring Russia via the projection of unpredictability and "strength"--William Barr

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John Poynter forwards this:

New Madrid Fault May Unleash Catastrophic Midwest Earthquake, North Pole Rapidly Shifting -- 9 Mar 2022 --

Ken Seger adds:

I haven't listened to this yet, but here is something I typed up in March of 1990.
- - -
In 1985 Dr. Otto Nuttli, professor of geophysics at St.
Louis University, estimated that the New Madrid quakes in the 5
month period of 1811-1812, ranged as high as 8.0 to 8.8 Richter
and that 15 to 18 of the aftershocks ranged from 6.5 to 7.0
Richter. Others estimate that 5 of the two dozen or so quakes
were 8.0 or higher. In 1985, the amount of energy stored in the
fault was enough to produce an earthquake of 7.6 Richter
according to Dr. Nuttli. The last large quake was in 1895 and
estimated at 6.0 Richter. It is estimated that a quake of this
size should occur about every 80 years. Due to the difference
in structure, a quake in the midwest will have a damage area 20
times larger than the same quake would have in California.
It is virtually impossible to predict at what Richter scale
a major quake would occur. Even if it were, it would be equally
difficult to predict the precise damage level that would occur
in the Rossman School area.

If the New Madrid has a 6.7 Richter scale quake, the
greater St. Louis area can expect the following effects: people
have trouble standing upright, loose bricks fall from buildings,
heavy furniture overturns, many windows break and some buildings
are damaged.
For a 7.6 Richter scale quake: drivers have difficulty
steering, towers and chimneys fall, tree branches break and
some buildings partially collapse.
It is estimated that a 7.4 Richter scale quake will do
approximately six billion dollars in damage in just the state
of Missouri.
For a 8.6 Richter scale quake: the ground is cracked
conspicuously, considerable damage in masonry structures
especially designed to withstand earthquakes, some buildings
collapse and underground pipes sometimes broken.
Estimations of damage to the West County area published by
authorities indicate that on a 8.6 Richter scale earthquake
damage levels of 7, 8 or 9 may occur.
Level 7 is described as: "Damage negligible in buildings of
good design and construction. Numerous windows and some
furniture are broken. Considerable damage occurs to concrete
irrigation ditches."
Level 8 equals: "Trees shaken strongly with branches and
trunks broken off. Slight damage occurs in brick structures
built especially to withstand earthquakes. Buildings partially
collapse. Stone walls are cracked or broken seriously."
Level 9 equals: "Ground is cracked conspicuously.
Considerable damage occurs in masonry structures built
especially to withstand earthquakes. Some buildings collapse.
Underground pipes sometimes broken."
Please note that those damage levels will NOT be uniform
throughout the St. Louis area. Some areas will be devastated
while others nearby will suffer only minor damage.
However, even if there is only a 0.1% chance of an
earthquake happening, if it happens, it happens. One can not
control the likelihood of an earthquake occurring, but one can
control the amount of preparedness for an earthquake or other
disaster.
- - -
Most people are not familiar with the Mercalli Scale. Example in St. Louis County for a given Richter Scale, there will be three different Mercalli Scale damage levels, with the worst (highest) in the flood plain where the vibrations will liquify and amplify the waves, and two units up on the Mercalli Scale would be at the highest points in the county where if you go one foot or two down you hit bedrock, which won't move as much. Also the Mercalli scale follows the fault line and perpendicular to the fault line the mercalli Scale of damage falls of rapidly. So Columbia, MO and KC, MO don't have anything to worry about. However, St. Louis, Hanibal, the boot heel, and Memphis, TN have a lot to worry about if the New Madris does its thing.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 11:54 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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James Hatem

JOE BIDEN IS A LYING POS. Today he said that when Putin began putting troops at border in January it caused the price of gas in January, alone, to go up 75 cents. BULLSHIT. Average retail price in January went up about 7 cents. Idiot probably misread a decimal point and not one reporter challenged this buffoon.



Tim adds:

Yes, and the media will amplify this. By election day half the country will believe Biden had nothing whatsoever to do with high gas prices.

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Kim Rogan

"A liberal is one who wishes to replace existing evils with others.”— Ambrose Bierce

More than 500 protesters have been arrested, many held in solitary confinement for months, for the January 6, 2021 break-in at the Capital Building in D.C. Notably, despite the constant democrat and Leftmedia charges and drumming about "insurrectionists," not one protestor, NOT ONE, has been charged with treason or sedition — most being charged with trespassing. And the person killed was an unarmed woman veteran in the mob, by a federal officer. No chants of police brutality by the libs/dems is there?

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Roy W. Spencer

High gasoline prices are not a "bug" in the view of the Biden Administration, but a "feature". Environmentalists with enough $$ to pay the premium are giddy, because high prices make expensive wind and solar energy more competitive. So, forget about the days when the most cost-saving ideas win in the marketplace, we are now in the era when government policies and regulations determine market prices. Hmmm... sounds like the old U.S.S.R., eh? How did that work out? It remains to be seen if Biden backs down as the mid-term elections approach. Americans will vote their pocketbooks first. Interesting times ahead.

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Christopher Lee

Obstructing pipelines, canceling drilling leases, and levying huge taxes aren’t the only way the left has made sure gas is expensive.

They also opposed dredging the San Francisco Bay to make it harder for the refineries to get their raw material.

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Warner Todd Huston

Remember When They Said DuckDuckGo was for Free Speech? Not Any More

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Steven Chase

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Warner Todd Huston

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Timothy Birdnow

Here is an interesting conversation we're having at The Aviary:

Mike says:

Adding to this is that all of Russia's  equipment was used in the Crimea conflict and probably better then half the Chechnya war. When you got nukes to do your talking when no one listens you dont really need a strong army. Putin playing the nuke card when he did, did said a lot even though the Germans of all people are calling his bluff by directly supplying Ukraine. Too Little Too Late.
Regardless of Russia's military state if Putin doesnt get lynched by his own people Ukraine is doomed and they have nobody to blame but themselves.


Tim says:

I agree Mike. somebody is going down, either the Ukrainian President or Putin.

And they did lose a lot of equipment in Crimea, I'm sure.

That said, I wouldn't count the Russians out by any means. They are pretty tough soldiers and are willing to fight as long as they have to do so. But the money might run out first.

I've believed since the start of this that the goal is not to swallow the Ukraine whole, but to pick it apart and get concessions. Putin wants a guarantee Ukraine won't join NATO. He also wants a guarantee they won't mess with his pipelines. And he wants to carve off a slice along the Black Sea. All of this puts any sort of Ukrainian independence in jeopardy. Also, he wants to make them largely land-locked.

IF the West uses Ukraine as a military base of operations then he wants it neutralized as much as possible.

I suspect Putin will offer a deal soon and we'll take it. Biden will go home crowing how he kicked the Russians out of there, and it will help him politically. Putin will go home to Russia with more territory, and concessions. Everybody wins - except the average folks who saw their homes destroyed and their lives uprooted, of course.

Putin can't afford to really lose this. But then, neither can Biden.


DanaMathewson chimes in:

To complicate matters, the Ukrainians have some bad guys fighting on their side. I just encountered this article today: https://bigleaguepolitics.com/the-azov-battalion-crib-notes-on-ukraines-neo-nazi-para-militants/


Mike adds:

I dug into the Azov Brigade and what I found has me wondering who they really are and why the international leftist media overnight were calling them neo-nazis. What I found was that the number 1 enemy of the human race has his finger prints all over the Ukraine. Soros, who unlike Trump, has no problems hiding his financial records, has been ingesting the Ukraine in support in the forms of NGOs. 1995 the last time a financial disclosure report on his NGOs was released had him spending 6.7 million in Ukraine. Another reason I wonder if Ukraine might not be better off in Russia's federation.

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Mike

I have heard or read that the reason the US was buying this Russian oil was to have if needed to fulfill contracts if they have short falls. IOW if the US company made a contract for say 100 barrels of gasoline but due to unforeseen production slowdowns only produced 95 they would add the 5 barrels from Russia.

Since I have never seen an oil contract I dont know what penalties are incurred in case of shortage.

Now this leads me to ask this question. If Russia has Europe by the short hairs filling 30% of its energy needs why hasn't Russia been bleeding them dry in costs? Seems that Russia could name its price and yet I'm not seeing that.

Red Eyes idiots say that we could only supply Europe's demand for energy for a week before Europe collapses.

If Russia is such an energy power house why is its GDP less then that of Texas?

One other thing to add. Not all the French oil companies are in on the sanctions. I don't remember their name but they have a HUGE investment with Russia in a new LNG production plant.

Another LNG plant that Shell had invested in and sold its investments too is scheduled to come on line this year. Invest in Russian LNG

Tim adds:

Russia was squeezing Ukraine with LNG, charging usurious prices. It was at the heart of this invasion; the Ukrainians threatened to close Russian pipelines through their country to Europe.

The Russians were selling gas much more cheaply to the Europeans than to the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians were buying gas from Europe, gas that was coming through their country to get there.

I think Putin thought he'd have this nailed down by now. He didn't want this war going into the spring, so he would have leverage over Europe. Once it warms up LNG will be far less important.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 09:55 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Mike

If you are looking for a reason why Putin feels empowered to do what he is doing here it is: .
Really!!! You pull a naval destroyer off line because its commander didn't get his shot during an international crisis where if you listen to the talking heads a nuclear hell storm can happen at any second.

I am laughing at this because of the insanity.

The statement by the military is precious "an extraordinary intrusion upon the inner workings of the military that presents a direct and imminent threat to national security during a global military crisis, and it indefinitely sidelines a Navy warship.” Because he didnt take his shot.Good thing he ate all his vegetables or the whole of our Navy may have been sidelined

Tim adds:

Good point Mike. Nature abhors a vacuum. We are receding, and leaving a vacuum Putin wishes to fill.

Another reason why this falls on the shoulders of Joe "Stealin" Biden.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 09:47 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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